THE discovery of precious stones in Marange and Zimbabwe in general was viewed as a blessing as everyone thought the bleeding economy would be bailed out.

However, that has remained a pipe dream as only the elite are pocketing billions of dollars at the expense of the suffering communities. Fifteen years down the line government is still promising development, planting pseudo community share ownership trusts like the Marange Zimunya, Chiadzwa Community Share Ownership Trust, which exist only on paper without any remittances to the communities as per agreement.

There are certain individuals government is inviting to KP meetings pretending to represent the communities but without their mandate. President Emmerson Mnangagwa granted the concession in 2019, but up to now there is nothing to show for it.

The questions that communities are seeking answers to are: Who dissolved Marange Zimunya Share Ownership Trust? How much was deposited into the account of that trust? Who gave the directive to form a parallel trust? What is stopping government from giving the concession to the community? We kindly ask government not to engage individuals without community mandate to speak on its behalf. They do not engage and or consult the community?

Government should understand that ignoring the community and listening to an individual who does not represent the community will create serious problems because the voice of the people is the voice of God. Government must be honest in its engagements and should involve CBOs and all stakeholders. Government must stop making empty promises and lying to Kimberly Process about the state of affairs in Marange.

People in Marange are swimming in poverty and facing human rights challenges. Government, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company and Mines ministry should engage the community before it’s too late. - Fungai Nhaitai

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World must be ready to contain cholera

SINCE the first disease outbreak news on the global cholera situation was published on December 16, 2022, the global situation has further deteriorated with additional countries reporting cases and outbreaks.

Since mid-2021, the world is facing an acute upsurge in the seventh cholera pandemic characterised by huge numbers, and concurrence of multiple outbreaks, the spread to areas free of cholera for decades and alarming high mortality rates.

In 2021, 23 countries reported cholera outbreaks, mainly in the World Health Organisation (WHO) regions of Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. This trend continued into 2022 as 30 countries across five of the six WHO regions reported cholera cases or outbreaks. Among those, 14 had not reported cholera in 2021, including non-endemic countries (Lebanon and Syria) or countries that had not reported cases over three years (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), while most of the remaining countries reported higher case numbers and case fatality ratios (CFR) than in previous years.

As of  February 1, 2023, at least 18 countries continued to report cholera cases. As according to the seasonality patterns large parts of the world are currently in low or interepidemic transmission period, this number could increase in the months to come.

The mortality associated with those outbreaks is of particular concern as many countries reported higher CFR than in previous years. The average cholera CFR reported globally in 2021 was 1,9% (2,9% in Africa), a significant increase above the acceptable (<1%) and the highest recorded in over a decade. Preliminary data suggests a similar trend for 2022 and 2023.

The potential drivers of the outbreaks and challenges impacting response activities were highlighted in the last disease outbreak news. The simultaneous progression of several cholera outbreaks, compounded in countries facing complex humanitarian crises with fragile health systems and aggravated by climate change, poses challenges to outbreak response and risks further spreading to other countries.

The overall capacity to respond to the multiple and simultaneous outbreaks continues to be strained due to the global lack of resources, including the oral cholera vaccine, as well as overstretched public health and medical personnel, who are dealing with multiple disease outbreaks at the same time.

Based on the current situation, including the increasing number of outbreaks and their geographic expansion, as well as a lack of vaccines and other resources, WHO assesses the risk at the global level as very high. - WHO

SINCE the first disease outbreak news on the global cholera situation was published on December 16, 2022, the global situation has further deteriorated with additional countries reporting cases and outbreaks.

Since mid-2021, the world is facing an acute upsurge in the seventh cholera pandemic characterised by huge numbers, and concurrence of multiple outbreaks, the spread to areas free of cholera for decades and alarming high mortality rates.

In 2021, 23 countries reported cholera outbreaks, mainly in the World Health Organisation (WHO) regions of Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. This trend continued into 2022 as 30 countries across five of the six WHO regions reported cholera cases or outbreaks. Among those, 14 had not reported cholera in 2021, including non-endemic countries (Lebanon and Syria) or countries that had not reported cases over three years (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), while most of the remaining countries reported higher case numbers and case fatality ratios (CFR) than in previous years.

As of  February 1, 2023, at least 18 countries continued to report cholera cases. As according to the seasonality patterns large parts of the world are currently in low or interepidemic transmission period, this number could increase in the months to come.

The mortality associated with those outbreaks is of particular concern as many countries reported higher CFR than in previous years. The average cholera CFR reported globally in 2021 was 1,9% (2,9% in Africa), a significant increase above the acceptable (<1%) and the highest recorded in over a decade. Preliminary data suggests a similar trend for 2022 and 2023.

The potential drivers of the outbreaks and challenges impacting response activities were highlighted in the last disease outbreak news. The simultaneous progression of several cholera outbreaks, compounded in countries facing complex humanitarian crises with fragile health systems and aggravated by climate change, poses challenges to outbreak response and risks further spreading to other countries.

The overall capacity to respond to the multiple and simultaneous outbreaks continues to be strained due to the global lack of resources, including the oral cholera vaccine, as well as overstretched public health and medical personnel, who are dealing with multiple disease outbreaks at the same time.

Based on the current situation, including the increasing number of outbreaks and their geographic expansion, as well as a lack of vaccines and other resources, WHO assesses the risk at the global level as very high. - WHO

Referees’ salaries need to be adjusted

I HAVE written this article as a former  referee who wants to see change in the way our football is being officiated across the country from topflight football down to social boozers leagues.

The Zimbabwe Soccer  Referees Association is once again facing challenges which need urgent action in order to save the beautiful game of football.

Referees are being paid peanuts for their effort while the so-called leaders are enjoying themselves.

Recently they were asked to affiliate with the promise that they would be paid in United States dollars but they were remunerated in Zimdollars at bank rate. They sometimes don’t get their money on time, resulting in it being  hit hard by inflation.

It is not all sweet and rosy in the referees fraternity. All is not well and most referees are likely to quit this year citing poor remuneration and working conditions.

Before the start of any season, referees must buy training kits and new uniforms on their own as they don’t get any kind of sponsorship from the local bodies. Where are the Fifa funds being channelled to?

Given the current hyper-inflationary environment in the country, referees match fees must be paid before the start or as soon as the end of any match.

The association is still owed a lot of money by the Premier Soccer League which instructs clubs to deposit match fees in its account and spin the money before it gets to the owners. Previously clubs used to deposit match fees in referees accounts.

Match fees for the  Chibuku Super Cup tournament games played during the COVID-19 era were misused by Zifa despite that it received COVID-19 grants from Fifa.

Surely if referees are not well remunerated, corruption and match fixing will find fertile ground to fester, thereby bringing the game of football into disrepute. - Leonard Koni

IN response to B/bridge residents mete instant justice on robbers, ROBERT MUFAMBI says: That was an excellent move taken by residents. Instant justice is the only way to go when dealing with thieves because our courts are not doing a good job to keep them behind bars.

TINASHE MUCHEMWA says: Well done Beitbridge residents. We hope this will serve as a good example to would-be robbers. Where was the police when all this was happening? We only get to know about the police when there are matters that involve Zanu PF.

IN response to Zim records world’s highest food inflation, WYCLIFF TUNGWARARA says: This is courtesy of the so-called new dispensation. It’s shocking that it is seeking another five-year term to  continue looting.

IN response to What exactly is the purpose of PVOs Bill?, DOMINIC MUKONDO says: Introducing Bills instead of programmes. The focus of tyranny is oppression at the expense of development.

GEORGE CHIPARA says: Does the party called Zanu PF care about the people? We understand the government has no money even to cater for free education and now it wants to eliminate all civic groups assisting vulnerable communities.

KWINIKA WA KWINIKA says:  The new dispensation, which got into power through a military coup in 2017, wants to crush the little life left in the citizenry. The junta must be booted out and arrested of crimes against humanity.

ESTEVAO MUKARO says: They can’t feed the hungry, poor people. When they give cups of rice for votes, only card-carrying members benefit, condemning the rest of the people to abject hunger. What a heartless lot!

IN response to ‘Suspects spending 3 years in pretrial custody’, DOMINIC MUKONDO says: It’s baffling that the same person who has the power and influence to make changes concerning these challenges is the one bemoaning the conditions he’s mandated to change. Zimbabwe needs much more than these learned people who have no capacity to critically think and make improvements that show progressive thought and ideas.